The present invention relates to a foundation, a footing of a foundation and a method of constructing a foundation for a light gauge steel building structure, and particularly to such a foundation, footing and method wherein a foundation sill plate member can be constructed in a horizontally level disposition.
Light gauge steel building structures are conventionally erected on concrete slab foundations that provide continuous support that is necessary to prevent deformation of the structure. Examples of light gauge steel building structures are disclosed in Ollman U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,256, and Sheppard et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,453, in both of which an upwardly facing channel track is bolted to a concrete foundation slab and the building components are secured to and built onto the channel track. In such constructions the building structure is supported completely on the concrete slab without the channel tracks providing any vertical support. As a matter of fact, the channel tracks are not designed to provide any substantial vertical support, particularly to provide sufficient support were the tracks supported at only spaced locations rather than substantially continuously along their lengths.
There are many circumstances where it would be desirable to erect light gauge steel building structures directly in the ground without the time and expense of having to provide a concrete foundation slab. Many buildings used for storage and shelter, such as for farm equipment, do not require concrete floors and in many instances the elimination of the cost and time of pouring concrete slabs, even if concrete slabs were preferable, would be advantageous and could make the buildings economically feasible where otherwise the cost may be prohibitive.
There are known support systems for supporting some types of building structures, such as mobile homes, without the use of concrete foundation slabs, but these are not known to provide accurate horizontally level support of the building structure in a simple, practical manner suitable for use with the light gauge steel buildings, for example, of the types referred to in the aforementioned Ollman and Sheppard patents. Thus, Carns U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,843 discloses an adjustable support system with telescoping support members that are adjustable in increments at vertical spacings which, because of the incremental adjustment, would not permit attachment to a building structure member at whatever leveled position the member may be in when the support system is put in place. In Van Weele U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,633, Hughes U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,9119, and LeBlanc U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,781, foundation piles or posts are provided for supporting building structures without the need for concrete foundation slabs, but these structures do not provide for any vertical adjustment to accommodate variations in the vertical position of the poles or posts in relation to a horizontally leveled position of the base of the building structure. In Kirkes U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,559, a complicated post drilling assembly is used with a prefabricated building to set support posts that are fixed to the building structure prior to on-site erection, requiring special hole drilling equipment as well as a complicated arrangement for integrating the support posts in the building structure.
No building system is known that accomplishes or could be adapted to accomplish an expeditiously and inexpensively constructed foundation for a light gauge steel building structure without the need for a concrete slab foundation while providing for accurate leveled support of the building structure.